Device for controlling the movement of a plurality of moveable furniture parts, method for configuration of a device such as this, and piece of furniture

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for controlling the movement of a plurality of moveable furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner relative to a stationary furniture part by means of a drive unit via a monitoring unit for monitoring the movement of the moveable furniture parts. With regard to safety standards, it is proposed that the monitoring unit is designed such that, when two moveable furniture parts are moved in a driven manner at the same time, the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts can be kept below a predetermined value which is less than the maximum relative velocity which occurs between the two moveable furniture parts as a result of their driven movement. The invention also relates to a corresponding furniture part and to a method for configuration of a device such as this.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2007/003024, filed Apr. 4, 2007, which designated the United States, and claims the benefit under 35 USC §119(a)-(d) of German Application Nos. 10 2006 016 102.5, 20 2006 005 580.0 and 20 2006 005 581.9, all of which were filed Apr. 4, 2006, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for controlling the movement of furniture parts, to a piece of furniture including the device and to a method of operating the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Devices for controlling the movement of a plurality of furniture parts which can be moved with respect to a stationary furniture part are known from the prior art, in which the moveable furniture parts can be moved in a driven manner with the aid of a drive unit and a monitoring unit in order to monitor the movement of the moveable furniture parts.

By way of example, furniture parts which are moved in a drivable manner or can be pivoted on fittings, for example drawers, hatches, doors and the like, can be moved in a driven manner with respect to a furniture housing with mechanical and/or electrical assistance, for example by means of an electric motor. Particularly in the case of modern pieces of furniture which may provide additional functions and relatively high control convenience, the installation effort and setting-up effort may be considerable. This depends essentially on the number of furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner and on the complexity of the movement options to be set up for the moveable furniture parts.

Nowadays, a high level of user convenience, in particular, is desirable for pieces of furniture with furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner, and safety aspects must also be taken into account.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to keep the installation and setting-up effort comparatively low for a device for controlling the movement of furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner, and for corresponding pieces of furniture, with the aim of achieving a high level of control convenience and of satisfying the relevant safety requirements.

The invention is based first of all on a device for controlling the movement of a plurality of moveable furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner relative to a stationary furniture part by means of a drive unit via a monitoring unit for monitoring the movement of the moveable furniture parts. One major aspect of the invention is that the monitoring unit is designed such that, when two moveable furniture parts are moved in a driven manner at the same time, the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts can be kept below a predetermined value which is less than the maximum relative velocity which occurs between the two moveable furniture parts as a result of their driven movement. Depending on the basic configuration that is implemented, the device for controlling the movement of a plurality of moveable furniture parts can allow a driven movement of two or more furniture parts, which can be moved in a driven manner, at the same time. On the one hand, this can admittedly increase the control convenience and result in time advantages, but on the other hand it can result in a risk of injury and/or collision. In particular, in this case, a risk of trapping or crushing can occur as a result of the moveable furniture parts moving past one another, close to one another, particularly in the case of mutually adjacent moveable furniture parts. These risks can be precluded or minimized by means of the monitoring unit.

The procedure according to the invention also makes it possible to comply with stringent safety standards in accordance with the applicable regulations and guidelines, or in accordance with the requirements of the examination authorities (for example, LGA), without any problems.

If two furniture parts are moving in opposite directions, the relative velocity results from the addition of the two individual velocities, or if the two furniture parts are moving in the same direction, from subtraction of the two individual velocities.

By way of example, moveable furniture parts are drawers, doors, hatches, tablar panels, wire baskets, pharmacy cabinets, rotating racks, carousels or the like, which in particular are designed such that they can be moved or shifted, can be rotated and/or can be pivoted on the piece of furniture.

The monitoring unit for monitoring movement, which by way of example is a central or superordinate unit or comprises a plurality of subunits, may in particular comprise a computer unit. The moveable furniture part can be moved in a driven manner over at least part of its movement by the monitoring unit and by means of the drive unit, from one stationary position to a further stationary position. In this case, after a brief initial acceleration from rest, the furniture part to be moved is frequently driven at a virtually constant velocity and is decelerated appropriately before reaching the next stationary position. The driven movement of a moveable furniture part in particular therefore comprises essentially a brief acceleration or deceleration phase, in particular at the start and end of a driven movement, and, in between, a movement phase at a maximum and/or constant velocity.

If two moving furniture parts which are being driven at the same time are now considered, it is advantageous to define the relative velocity which occurs between the two furniture parts such that this remains below a desired value or possibly at most reaches this value, which can be achieved particularly effectively by means of the monitoring unit, which influences all of the significant movement variables during the movement of the driven furniture parts. This advantageously makes it possible to ensure that an undesirably high relative velocity, which represents an unacceptable potential hazard in particular as a result of the kinetic energy of the moving furniture parts, does not occur. A potential hazard which would otherwise result from this, in particular for a person in the area close to the furniture parts under consideration, can thus be avoided, and the risk of injury to a person precluded, for example by a body part becoming trapped in or crushed, for example the arm, the hand or the finger between the two furniture parts.

This is particularly important for adjacent moveable furniture parts, or for moveable furniture parts which move towards one another. For this purpose, the relative velocity for two moving furniture parts which are driven at the same time is kept below a predetermined value. It is also feasible to use the monitoring unit for more complex monitoring, such that more than two furniture parts are moved in a driven manner at the same time, and the relative velocity between in each case two of the plurality of moving furniture parts is limited.

The predetermined value can be defined individually and monitored by the monitoring unit depending on the requirement or potential hazard resulting from the driven movement of two furniture parts which are moved in a driven manner. In particular, a deceleration process using appropriate braking means can be carried out in order to reach the predeterminable value. In addition, the velocity of the moveable furniture part can be reduced to a sufficient extent by suppressing or ending the drive effect, for example as a result of friction losses.

It is also proposed that the monitoring unit is designed such that, when two moveable furniture parts are being moved in a driven manner at the same time, the relative velocity can be kept below the predetermined value at least until the edge sections of the two furniture parts, in particular front parts, are close to one another. This arrangement takes account of the fact that, for example, the driven movement of adjacent moveable furniture parts, for example furniture drawer units, intrinsically conceals a risk of injury which in practice is significant in that someone who is accessing the furniture parts, for example drawer units, or is handling them, can have his or her hand or finger trapped between edge sections of the furniture parts. In this case, parts of the hand or finger can enter a gap area, which is variable during movement of the furniture parts, in particular between front parts of the furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner, resulting for example, in crush injuries.

The monitoring unit is advantageously designed to preset the predetermined value of the relative velocity between the two furniture parts which are being moved in a driven manner at the same time at a velocity which is in the region of the maximum occurring velocity which is reached by the driven movement of one of the two furniture parts. The maximum velocity which occurs during the driven movement of a moveable furniture part is generally selected such that it does not result in any potential hazard, or significant potential hazard. The maximum velocity that occurs when defined in this way can therefore be selected sensibly as a guideline value for the maximum relative velocity which occurs between two furniture parts which are moved in a driven manner at the same time. The relative velocity that has been limited in this way can therefore also generally not represent a significant potential injury risk for an operator.

In the case of two furniture parts which are each moved individually in a driven manner at the same maximum velocity v_(max), the predetermined value of the maximum permissible relative velocity when moving in opposite directions would then, for example, be the maximum individual velocity v_(max).

In principle, of course, it is also possible for two furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner to be moved by the drive unit at different maximum velocities. In a situation such as this, when considering two furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner, a predetermined relative velocity which must not be exceeded can be selected individually, for example the lower maximum achievable individual velocity of the two relevant furniture parts.

It is also proposed that the monitoring unit is designed in such a way as to decelerate to the same extent the two furniture parts which are being moved in a driven manner at the same time, in order to bring the relative velocity between the two furniture parts below the predetermined value. This allows the predetermined value of the relative velocity to be reached comparatively quickly and safely. It is preferably possible for this purpose to provide for the furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner to be decelerated monitored in particular by the monitoring unit, for example by means of suitable braking means or an appropriately designed drive unit. By way of example, the braking movement of the furniture parts can be carried out linearly or non-linearly.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the monitoring unit is designed to decelerate to different extents the two furniture parts which are being moved in a driven manner at the same time, in order to bring the relative velocity between the two furniture parts below the predetermined value. This allows the control convenience to be improved while achieving a saving in time for opening and closing of moveable furniture parts.

In particular, the monitoring unit can be designed, when two furniture parts which are being moved in a driven manner at the same time are being moved, one of which furniture parts is being moved to a closed position and a further furniture part is being moved to an open position, to decelerate that furniture part which is being moved to the closed position to a greater extent than that furniture part which is being moved to the open position, in order to bring the relative velocity between the two furniture parts below the predetermined value. This makes it possible to provide asymmetry in the deceleration processes of the moveable furniture parts.

It is also advantageous that the monitoring unit is designed so as to accelerate at least one furniture part of the two furniture parts in a driven manner during the simultaneous driven movement of the two furniture parts, after a movement phase of the two furniture parts in which the relative velocity between the two furniture parts has been kept below the predetermined value. This allows different as well as relatively complex movement patterns to be selected for the furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner.

In particular, a desired high level of operator-friendliness can be achieved, individually matched to customer requirements.

For example, in a movement phase in which at least one moveable furniture part or parts has or have been braked, its or their velocity is or are increased in order to once again reach a desired maximum drive velocity or the velocity before the deceleration. This procedure allows simultaneous opening and closing movements of furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner to be carried out comparatively quickly, without having to ignore safety requirements. In particular, the predetermined relative velocity value is regulated only for specific movement phases on the moving furniture parts.

In principle, the two furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner can also be accelerated again, if both have previously been decelerated, in order to reach the predetermined value.

It is also proposed that the monitoring unit is designed so as to move in a driven manner at least one furniture part of the two furniture parts at the same constant velocity during the simultaneous driven movement of the two furniture parts, after a movement phase of the two furniture parts in which the relative velocity between the two furniture parts has been kept below the predetermined value. This allows an economic procedure for the movement of the two furniture parts which are moved at the same time. For example, it may be advantageous to move further one of the furniture parts or else both furniture parts at the drive velocity that has then been reached after the movement phase in which the furniture parts have, in particular, been decelerated. This may preferably be of interest for the furniture part that is being closed. For example, this makes it possible to achieve a smooth movement process rather than a jerky process for the driven movements of the furniture parts, since the latter is frequently perceived to be pleasant.

In addition, in the case of acceleration which might otherwise take place, this has a positive influence on the energy consumption and the wear for the driven movement.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the monitoring unit is designed to associate at least one further furniture part which can be moved in a driven manner with a first furniture part which can be moved in a driven manner, in order to define the two furniture parts, when an undesired state can occur as a result of the simultaneous driven movement of the first furniture part and the at least one further furniture part. This refinement takes account of the fact that a potential hazard occurs with regard to a moveable furniture part which is singled out from a plurality of further furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner when the furniture part which has been singled out is moved at the same time as at least one of the other furniture parts. In order to keep the corresponding furniture parts below a predetermined value of the relative velocity, as proposed, while they are being moved simultaneously, it is therefore necessary to define in advance the relevant moveable furniture parts, and to associate them with one another. By way of example, this can be done in a specific configuration process. The configuration or association of furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner can be carried out in various ways. In each case at least one furniture part or parts which can be moved in a driven manner, in particular all the directly adjacent ones, can be associated with each furniture part which can be moved in a driven manner.

If, for example, one drawer from a plurality of adjacent drawers is moved in a driven manner, then a moveable drawer which is adjacent to it and arranged above, below, to the right, on the left-hand side or diagonally with respect to it, and/or opposite or at right angles to it, may justify a risk of trapping and crushing. This must be taken into account and defined in the configuration process in such a way that, at least when edge sections of the two furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner come close to one another, the relative velocity of the two moving furniture parts under consideration remains below the predetermined value. At a higher level than this requirement, it is sensible to ensure that any collisions between two moveable furniture parts can undoubtedly not occur.

The invention also relates to a piece of furniture having a stationary furniture part and furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner, in particular drawers, with a device as explained above. This allows the described advantages to be achieved for a corresponding furniture part.

Finally, the invention also relates to a method for configuration of a device for controlling the movement of a plurality of moveable furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner relative to a stationary furniture part by means of a drive unit using a monitoring unit for monitoring the movement of the moveable furniture parts, in particular for configuration of a device as described above. A central aspect of the method according to the invention is in a configuration mode which can be switched on and off, a moveable furniture part can be associated with a further moveable furniture part when the configuration mode is switched on, and the configuration mode is switched off after the association process has been carried out, with the association process that has been carried out being taken into account for monitoring the movement of the moveable furniture parts. This allows the moveable furniture parts to be associated with one another in a configuration mode which is predetermined in a defined manner.

Moveable furniture parts can be associated and the association changed preferably only in the configuration mode or when the configuration state is active. Once the configuration process has been completed, the configuration mode is left, thus ensuring that the settings cannot inadvertently be deleted, or a reconfiguration process carried out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A highly schematically illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the single FIGURE and will be described in more detail together with further advantages and details.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view obliquely from above of a piece of furniture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a piece of furniture 1 with a stationary furniture part or a furniture housing 2, and furniture drawer units 3 which are guided such that they can move on this furniture housing 2 and have a plurality of drawers 4-14. The front part 11 a of an outer drawer 11 may cover the front part 9 a of an inner drawer 9 and the front part 10 a of an inner drawer 10. When the furniture drawer units 3 are in the closed state, the piece of furniture 1 has a cuboid shape. The furniture housing 2 comprises two outer side walls 2 a and 2 b, an upper part 2 c, a bottom part 2 d as well as a rear wall which cannot be seen in FIG. 1. The furniture housing 2 also has inner walls 2 e and 2 f which run parallel to the side walls 2 a, 2 b in the interior of the furniture housing.

The furniture drawer units 3 are accommodated movably in the furniture housing 2, via pull-out guides which are not illustrated, on the side walls 2 a, 2 b or the inner walls 2 e, 2 f, for example via known full drawer extensions. The furniture drawer units 3 can be pushed in and moved out relative to the furniture housing 2 as indicated by the double-ended arrow P. The drawers 4-9 and 12-14 are each located in a closed position, while in contrast the inner drawer 10 is approximately half open, and the outer drawer 11 entirely open, with respect to the furniture housing 2.

The front face of the piece of furniture 1 with front parts of the furniture drawer units 3 represents a control face for control and use of the furniture drawer units 3 by a person.

When looking at the front of the piece of furniture 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the arrangement of the drawers comprises three columns which each have a plurality of drawers positioned one above the other. The left-hand column seen from the front comprises the identical drawers 4-7 between the side wall 2 b and the inner wall 2 f, the center column comprises the drawers 8-11 between the inner walls 2 e and 2 f, and the right-hand column comprises the drawers 12-14 between the inner wall 2 e and the side wall 2 a.

A device which is not illustrated in FIG. 1, for example, corresponding to one of the devices disclosed in WO 2006/029894 A1, is provided in order to influence the movement of the furniture drawer units 3, for driven movement in particular of each furniture drawer unit 4-14 relative to the furniture housing 2, with the driven movement being carried out by means of a drive unit and/or a monitoring unit for monitoring the movement of the furniture drawer units 3. Likewise not illustrated in FIG. 1, there are connecting lines or the like for supplying the apparatus for controlling movement.

The drawers 4-6 are each provided on their drawer fronts with a handle element 15-17, and the drawer 7 is provided with a further handle element (not shown) in order to manually grip the relevant drawer and in particular to pull on the drawer. In principle, it is therefore possible to just move the drawers 4-7 by manual operation, rather than being driven by the drive unit. It is also feasible for the drawers 4-7 to be moveable in a driven manner and manually, in order for example when a movement is being carried out manually by someone to assist this with the drive unit, in particular during opening.

In particular, the other drawers can be moved by the drive unit, in which case it is feasible that a drawer which can be moved in a driven manner can be moved manually with or without assistance by the drive unit. For example, the drawers 4-7 can be pulled open manually using the handle elements, in particular with the drive unit applying a drive effect as assistance for the user. The drive unit may be designed in many ways and may operate by electrical means, for example with the aid of an electric motor, or non-electrically with mechanical means, or may operate with a combination of these means. The opening and/or closing movement can be carried out entirely or partially in a driven manner, for example when ejection means are provided for ejection of the moveable furniture part from a closed position to an at least partially open position.

In the case of the piece of furniture 1, the control plane is formed when the closed drawer fronts are located on a plane, although the invention also covers pieces of furniture whose control faces or front faces of the closed moveable furniture parts lie on two or more different planes, for example in arrangements which are at right angles to or opposite one another. Arrangements with folding shutters or doors are also covered by this, which are positioned one above the other, for example in an upper cabinet and a lower cabinet, in which case at least one folding shutter or door can be moved upwards, and another downwards. Any risk of trapping which occurs during movements such as these can be avoided according to the invention.

The drawers 8-14 are equipped on their front parts 8 a-14 a without a contour, and/or without a grip element or any other aid for pulling on the relevant furniture part. The drawers 4-14 can be provided with or without, for example in particular, an ejector or touch-latch functionality. By way of example, the drawers 8-14 can be initiated, to be precise opened or closed, by tapping on the front face of a drawer.

In order to avoid undesirable states in the case of the furniture part 1 and in order to preclude a possible risk of trapping, crushing or collision of a person as a result of drawers which are moved in a driven manner, the monitoring unit (not shown) and/or elements which interact with it is/are designed such that, when two moveable drawers in the furniture drawer units 3 are moved in a driven manner at the same time, the relative velocity between the two moveable drawers can be kept below a predetermined value which is less than the maximum relative velocity which occurs between the two moveable drawers as a result of their driven movement.

Situations in which two mutually associated drawers, in particular adjacent drawers, are moved in a driven manner in opposite directions at the same time are particularly relevant in practice. This can occur, in particular, when one drawer is being closed from an open position and an associated or directly adjacent drawer is at the same time being opened from a closed position, and the two drawers in this case move past one another. This could also apply to drawers in which no collision can take place in this case between the two furniture parts.

Movement states in which a collision could occur between two furniture parts which can be moved at the same time are precluded from the start by the monitoring unit, in particular by superordinate stored monitoring mechanisms. In the example shown in FIG. 1, movements in opposite directions and taking place at the same time of the drawers 9 and 11 as well as 10 and 11 are therefore impossible, at least in such a way that the front part 11 a would collide with one of the front parts 9 a or 10 a.

In the case of the piece of furniture 1, for example, the drawer 8 may be associated with all of the other drawers 4-7 and 9-14, or the drawers 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 13. For example, a critical relative velocity between the drawer 8 which is moved in a driven manner and at least one further drawer, which is moved in a driven manner at the same time, of the drawers 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 13 can be avoided in the latter case in that, as they move past one another, the relative velocity is limited to the predetermined limit value, that is to say the relevant drawers move past one another comparatively slowly. Any risk of trapping or crushing in particular between the moving front part 8 a and at least one of the front parts 9 a, 11 a, 12 a and 13 a and the drawers 4, 5 and 6 can be precluded.

In this situation, the remaining drawers in the furniture housing 1, that is to say the drawers 7, and 14, can be moved at the same time as the drawer 8 which is moved in a driven manner without having to comply with a predetermined value of the relative velocity between the relevant drawer and the drawer 8.

By way of example, an intelligent solution may define a group of associated drawers for each individual drawer, and this can likewise be stored in the monitoring unit. For example, for the outer drawer 11 for which, as explained above, monitoring mechanisms are applicable in order to avoid collisions with the drawers 9 and 10, the drawers 5, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14 could additionally be associated therewith.

In principle, the monitoring unit can be designed such that moveable furniture parts of other stationary furniture housings are also taken into account in the association for a furniture part under consideration which can be moved in a driven manner, that is to say also furniture parts such as drawers, hatches or doors which are arranged opposite, are located one above the other or at right angles to one another.

The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 shows a piece of furniture with a plurality of drawers. However, the invention also relates to other pieces of furniture with furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner, for example doors, hatches, folding doors or hatches, tablar panels, wire baskets, pharmacy cabinets, rotating racks, carousels or the like.

In this case as well, monitoring mechanisms may be applicable in a superordinate form, in order to avoid collisions, that is to say relative velocities for these furniture parts cannot be defined or can be defined only via constrained permissible movement phases of the entire possible movement.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

-   1 Piece of furniture -   2 Furniture housing -   2 a Side wall -   2 b Side wall -   2 c Upper part -   2 d Bottom part -   2 e Inner wall -   2 f Inner wall -   3 Furniture drawer units -   4 Drawer -   5 Drawer -   6 Drawer -   7 Drawer -   8 Drawer -   8 a Front part -   9 Inner drawer -   9 a Front part -   10 Inner drawer -   10 a Front part -   11 Outer drawer -   11 a Front part -   12 Drawer -   12 a Front part -   13 Drawer -   13 a Front part -   14 Drawer -   14 a Front part -   15 Handle element -   16 Handle element -   17 Handle element 

1. A device for controlling the movement of a plurality of moveable furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner relative to a stationary furniture part, comprising a drive unit for moving the moveable furniture parts, and a monitoring unit for monitoring the movement of the moveable furniture parts, wherein the monitoring unit controls movement of the moveable furniture parts such that, when two moveable furniture parts are moved in a driven manner at the same time, the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts is kept below a predetermined value which is less than the maximum relative velocity which occurs between the two moveable furniture parts as a result of their driven movement.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when two moveable furniture parts are being moved in a driven manner at the same time, the monitoring unit maintains the relative velocity below the predetermined value at least until the edge sections of the two moveable furniture parts are close to one another.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit presets the predetermined value at a velocity which is in the region of the maximum occurring velocity which is reached by the driven movement of one of the two moveable furniture parts.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit decelerates to the same extent the two moveable furniture parts in order to bring the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts below the predetermined value.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit decelerates to different extents the two moveable furniture parts in order to bring the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts below the predetermined value.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein when one of the moveable furniture parts is being moved to a closed position and the other moveable furniture part is being moved to an open position, the monitoring unit decelerates the one moveable furniture part to a greater extent than the other moveable furniture part in order to bring the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts below the predetermined value.
 7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit accelerates at least one of the moveable furniture parts during simultaneous driven movement of the two moveable furniture parts, after a movement phase of the two furniture parts in which the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts has been kept below the predetermined value.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit moves at least one of the moveable furniture parts at a constant velocity during simultaneous driven movement of the two moveable furniture parts, after a movement phase of the two moveable furniture parts in which the relative velocity between the two moveable furniture parts has been kept below the predetermined value.
 9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit associates at least one further furniture part which can be moved in a driven manner with one of the moveable furniture parts in order to define two furniture parts with which an undesired state can occur as a result of simultaneous driven movement of the one moveable furniture part and the at least one further furniture part.
 10. A piece of furniture comprising the device as claimed in claim
 1. 11. A method for configuration of a device for controlling the movement of a plurality of moveable furniture parts which can be moved in a driven manner relative to a stationary furniture part by means of a drive unit via a monitoring unit for monitoring the movement of the moveable furniture parts, comprising initiating a configuration mode, associating a first moveable furniture part with a second moveable furniture part, ending the configuration mode, and using the association between the first and second moveable furniture parts to monitor the relative movement of the first and second moveable furniture parts. 